Carrying the Ark in the Desert

Does the world ever seem to big? Life's troubles seem to mount up until there is just no end to the frustration? Maybe it is because we are trying to carry our problems on our own. Allow me to relate a story from the Old Testament.

Many of us know the story of the children of Israel wondering around in the desert for forty years. They lived as Nomads with tents, camels, etc. They also had a special tent that was reserved for the worship of Jehovah. There was a special box called the Ark of the Covenant that went with them wherever they roamed. It was kept veiled behind a curtain until it was time to move. Then there were special instructions about how to carry it. The priests had to carry it by hand. There were rings on the Ark and poles inserted through these rings. Four priests would gather around this ark and carry it on their shoulders.

I heard this story all my life in Sunday School but never realized the miracle behind it until I heard someone explain it. The box was only about 3ft 9 in by 2 ft 3 in. It wasn't that big. But there was a solid gold lid on this ark. There are different estimates but some say that the lid alone weighed several hundred lbs. So imagine this - four men carrying a big wooden box, covered in gold, with a solid gold top through the desert heat. How utterly impossible! How could four men carry a box weighing between three hundred fifty and six hundred lbs on their shoulders at all, let alone in the desert heat. But this is where the miracle comes in.

You see the presence of God surrounded the Ark of the Convenant. When the camp was set up the cloud representing God's glory hovered over the Ark. When it was moved, the presence of God was with it. The answer to the riddle is in the presence of God. When the priests, acting according to God's command, stepped up and picked up the box, it lifted. The presence of God made the Ark light enough for those four men to carry it.

The application for us today is simple. If you feel you have a burden to big to carry, give it to Jesus. His presence will make your burden light. He is big enough to carry both you and your burden and never get tired. When you are going through a battle you might have to have a few more prayer meetings but that is what trials are for - to make us spiritually stronger. The extra prayer will serve you well. On the other side of the trial you will realize God carried you the whole way through.

He is a big God! Give him your burdens today and just see how much better you feel!

Trusting Jesus Daily,

Sullivan Jones

Count Your Blessings

I Thessalonians 5:18 - Be thankful in all circumstances.

Life can be a struggle. None of us is exempt. Flat tires, dead batteries, and the like happen to all without discrimination. If we allow them to, these things can drain our energy and purpose. Sometimes the simplest things can make the whole world sour. We can began to think that everything is wrong when so much is right. Sometimes we just have to stop and look at life from a new perspective.

There is an old song that says, "when you're worried and you can't sleep, count your blessings instead of sheep." There is always something to be thankful for. And truthfully most of us have far more to be thankful for than to complain about. Be thankful! It's free and it never hurt anyone!

Thankfully,

Sullivan Jones

What is the Biggest Problem in our World?

At the moment I am taking a class called "Understanding Contemporary Society." It is one of those sociology classes where one discusses all the social ills of the world and the different proposed answers to society's problems. This week one of my discussion questions went like this:

a. W. E. B. DuBois saw the color line as the foremost problem of the 20th century. What did he mean by the color line?
b. In your opinion, is the color line still the foremost problem? Why or why not?

This question was not easy to answer because it stirs up passionate feelings in many of us, and not always for the same reason. But my answer would be no. The biggest problem in our world is not color or racism. The biggest problem in our world is the sin of selfishness. I could argue that this sin is what Paul meant by the love of money being the root of all evil.

You see sin is a desire to do what I want to do no matter who it displeases or hurts. We call it selfishness but really it is sin. That was Eve's problem in the very beginning. She wanted to have the glory that belonged to God so she ate the fruit that she thought would make her equal with God. The same problem is present today.

Our society is consumed with "me-ism". It's all about me. Whatever makes me feel good is the best thing for everyone else. None of us is exempt. We have a natural default to be selfish. Every other ill in our society, e.g., crime, racism, sexual abuse, human trafficking, you name it, is an offspring of our natural default to think only of what makes us feel good.

The only antidote to this selfish disease it to be filled with the love of Jesus. The love of Jesus can take the most hard-hearted individual and make him/her as meek as a lamb. The love of Jesus will cause people of different skin colors to worship together, cry on each other's shoulders, and eat in one another's homes. It will cause formerly bitter enemies to come together as true friends.

Some might say that I am taking about an ideal that can not be reached. While it is true that some will never accept Jesus as Lord this does not stop us from preaching. In the same sense we should not be hindered from spreading the love of Jesus because of the callousness and indifference of the world around us.

The Bible says that the love of God is poured out into our hearts by the Holy Ghost. What this world needs is an old-fashioned Holy Ghost revival that will fill us all with the love of God. That will take care of more of society's problems than all the social programs in the world.

Sincerely,

Rev. Sullivan Jones